The
major goal of the Everyday Children's Learning Opportunities Institute is the
production of materials that parents and practitioners can utilize to increase
the use of everyday family and community activity settings as sources of young
children's natural learning opportunities. The Institute staff developed
and evaluated the effectiveness of methods and procedures for facilitating
parents' and practitioners' understanding of everyday learning opportunities,
and how natural learning environments can increase the variety and frequency
of learning opportunities that are afforded young children. The methods
and procedures used to accomplish the Institute goal are guided by a conceptual
and operational framework that investigates the ways in which children's interests
and assets support and strengthen competence in a natural learning environments.
The Institute has been funded, in part, by the U.S. Department of Education,
Office of Special Education Programs, Research-to-Practice Division.
